Bucs' Only Hope Is To Bounce Bennett

I like Jerry Greene. You know, the man who covers pro football, especially the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, for The Orlando Sentinel.

He's a nice guy. Has a nice wife and three nice kids. Lives in a nice house in a nice area. It's difficult to dislike him.

Yet no one is perfect, and often we'll disagree when discussing sports of the times. Hey, it's a free country.

That will occur today when Jerry enters the office. I must take him aside and give him the benefit of my wisdom: Leeman Bennett should be fired.

My pal last week had the opposite viewpoint. He wrote Bennett shouldn't be sacked as the Bucs' head coach.

I went along with his thinking, then.

But after the Bucs were whipped Sunday by the inept Green Bay Packers, I began to reconsider.

Not only should owner Hugh Culverhouse release his head coach at season's end, he should fire Bennett's assistants.

Then he could let Bucs fans know he's really serious about giving them a ''professional'' organization before the year 2000 by firing some executives in the front office.

In short, Culverhouse should clean house. And I'm not talking about cutting Kevin House last month.

Alas, I digress.

With apologies to Henny Youngman, take the Bucs' last game . . . please.

Green Bay is, to be kind, awful. Yet, the Packers scored on their second play. Then they produced another TD on their next possession.

This point orgy, mind you, by an offense rated 27th among 28 NFL teams.

Meanwhile, Bucs quarterback Steve Young should receive a Purple Heart. He was sacked six times by the Packers, who had 10 in 10 previous games. However, he didn't bail out, or beg off.

Young is a cornerstone, a potential franchise player.

Otherwise, the Bucs are pathetic. They have no offense. No defense. And the special teams aren't so hot, either.

In short, Culverhouse has no team and, if this trend continues, soon may not have a franchise. Fans can't take much more of this show at Tampa Stadium. The owner must pretend he again has an expansion franchise. He can keep the club's few decent athletes -- I can count them on one hand -- and start drafting.

That's after he fires coaches and front-office types responsible for assembling a crew of Buccaneers remindful of F Troop.

This is nothing personal. Bennett, et al. simply may be with the wrong team at the wrong time.

Such is John McKay's legacy . . . the Bucs aren't over his amateurish moves and still need a fresh start on the sideline and in the front office.

Let's go back a few games.

The Bucs said they had to draft Bo Jackson as the NFL's No. 1 choice because they couldn't trade the pick to another team. They said they couldn't get a few warm bodies for the right to select a youth determined to play baseball.

Fire the guy who couldn't make a deal.

The Bucs recently released tight end Jimmie Giles, receiver House and running back Ron Springs. They did it to reduce their payroll and got zero in return.

Again, they said no trades were possible. Yet, Giles and House signed quickly.

Who couldn't trade them? Fire him.

The Bucs have Springs back, which tells you much about their team and his NFL value, because . . .

Nathan Wonsley was injured two games ago, covering an opening kickoff. He was lost for the season -- and his career may be over -- because some coach risked the team's only breakaway running threat on a kickoff.

Repeat, a kickoff. Kick out that coach.

And when is this team ever going to draft a decent offensive tackle, or trade for one? How about a guard?

Culverhouse should hire Don Coryell, recently fired at San Diego, as his next coach. He's a wizard at producing a passing attack, Young would thrive and fans would support Air Coryell East.

If Coryell, 62, doesn't want to move to Tampa, Culverhouse should hire Steve Spurrier. He's in town and available.

Spurrier has an excellent knowledge of the passing game to help Young. He's also younger (42) than Coryell. And he would bring with him followers of the Tampa Bay Bandits (USFL) and Florida Gators (Heisman Trophy, 1966).

So when my buddy Jerry shows up for work today, I'll blitz him with these opinions. I'll even buy the coffee. He'll accept . . . he's not that nice.